A Day with Dr. Dave
by Xx Girl With Issues xX
Summary: My first fanfic ever! Set between "Witch Hunt" and "Survival of the Fittest" Dave returns to work after his week-long suspension.


Title: A Day with Dr ****

Title: A Day with Dr. Dave

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Author: Girl with Issues

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E-Mail: [Buffy38841@aol.com][1] or [AngieMcKendrick@aol.com][2]

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Rating: PG-13

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Disclaimer: I have nothing in my pocket except for lint…so suing me would get you nowhere, especially since I own nothing and no one, even Dave….*Sigh*

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Timeline: Between "Witch Hunt" and "Survival of the Fittest"

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Summary: An angst piece in which Dave returns from his weeklong suspension with a lot on his mind.

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Author's Notes: Hey people. This is my first ER fanfic. Hopefully, you'll like it. If ya do, I'll write more…if not, I'll write more anyway under a different pen name, to torture you. 

My favorite character's Dave, so my ER fics will mostly be about him, but don't worry, I'll have other charries too.

I'll shuddup now, onto the story! Please review! I need to know weather I suck or not.

*~*

5:15 a.m. The antagonistic caterwauling of the bedside clock radio jarred him from a deep, dreamless sleep.

Dave Malucci groaned in annoyance as he peered out from beneath the warm security of his bed sheets, only to see the bright red numbers glaring sadistically back at him. 

With a sweep of his hand, Dave silenced the offending timepiece and dragged himself out of bed. After stumbling into the bathroom, he allowed the cold water to finish what the alarm had started.

Later, standing towel-clad in front of his closet, fully awake and showered, Dave realized why the hell he'd woken up so damn early. As he dressed, he thought back to the events (and people) of the previous week, already so overworked in his mind. Snippets of thoughts: James, Dr. Greene, James' father, the fight, obscenely bright wrestling get-ups; raced through his brain.

A glance at the clock brought him back into reality and he yanked his scrub top over his head before grabbing his coat and bike helmet. With a slam of the apartment door, Dave Malucci was off to work.

*~*

Dave parked his "ride"- a beaten, mud-streaked, mountain bike in front of Cook County General with 3 minutes to spare. Carefully avoiding Weaver, Dave tore into the lounge area and spun his combination, opening his locker in record time.

A couple minutes later, Dave calmly emerged from the lounge, hair in place, scrub top smoothed, stethoscope draped around his neck.

As he approached the Admit. Desk, Randi glanced up and, voice dripping with sarcasm, greeted him, " Welcome back, _Doctor _Malucci,"

Pasting one of his perfect Colgate smiles to his face, Dave replied, "Actually I prefer Dr. Dave, but whatever you want's fine with me."

With a roll of her eyes, Randi was again deeply absorbed in her "work"- the latest issue of _Vogue._

Dave rounded the desk and walked over to the board. After a couple minutes of critically scanning the patient list, Dave grabbed a marker and reached to sign for the 7-year-old with a sports injury. Randi noticed that at the last minute, Dave seemed to change his mind, as he signed for the food critic with stomach pains instead. 

*~*

Halfway through a mildly uneventful shift, Dave headed to Doc Magoo's for a late (very late) lunch.

Lost in his thoughts, Dave didn't notice Dr. Mark Greene exiting Doc's until the two men collided.

"Sorry Malucci," Mark said, "I hope you don't take that as abuse!" The resident barely got the final words out of his mouth before dissolving into a fit of laugher.

Instead of losing his composure, Dave surprised himself as he calmly replied, "Funny….That was my fault, sorry," With that said, Dave entered the diner, leaving a bewildered Mark Greene at the entrance.

*~*

11: 35 p.m. The sound of sirens down below reached Malucci's ears as he stood on the hospital roof, quietly sipping coffee from a Styrofoam cup. Leaning against the ledge, Dave mulled over the day. 

He thought about his meeting with Mark when he got back from Magoo's. He remembered how sincere Mark had been as he apologized, saying he didn't realize until then how the abuse cases affected Dave. In true-blue Malucci fashion, Dave had smirked and shrugged it off, telling Mark to forget it. 

Dave then thought about the day's cases: how he'd avoided children, even teenagers for the day, focusing his attention on the elderly, save for the food critic in the early morning. _I bet he'll think twice before eating at _that _place again._ The one thing besides children Dave hadn't worked on for the day was a trauma. 

Weaver had caught up with him after the food critic, and sympathetically welcomed him back and then told him that it might be better to "slow down, Dave. Don't worry about the traumas for now." Dave had agreed with a cheerful, "Ok, Chief,"

Actually, it was kind of a relief. Thinking about traumas brought him back to the time he and Cleo had cared for Michelle, the young girl in an MVA with her sexually abusive father.

Plus, Dave mused with a wry smile, it was nice to have a slow day the day he came back. He _did _miss the action, however. 

Dave flashed his trademark as he headed back into the building, thoughts of the up-coming April Fool's Day dancing in his head.

*~*

Yay! My first ER fanfic ever! Hope you guys like it. Don't mind the title, I was stuck for ideas…Anyway, I got more where this came from. Look for a Dave piece called "In the End" and the response to a challenge issued by The She Devil~ herself.

'Till next time….REVIEWS NEEDED! J 

   [1]: mailto:Buffy38841@aol.com
   [2]: mailto:AngieMcKendrick@aol.com



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